


Standing on Her Own

by LyriaBlackFrost



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Mild Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 15:52:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17942666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Sometimes, Haru needed a reminder that she was still a human.





	Standing on Her Own

Gardening made her feel calm.

The feeling of the earth against her palm, the sight of her plants growing bigger and stronger each day... Haru couldn’t explain why, but it was so relaxing and rewarding at the same time. Maybe it helped that it was something that belonged only to her, something no one told or expected her to do. She chose gardening of her own will, and no one could take that from her.

Maybe sometimes she only needed a reminder that she was still able to choose at all... A reminder that she was still a human, and not a currency, or a trophy, or a faceless doll.

She hadn’t realized how much those feelings hurt until she felt tears starting to roll down her face. Haru sighed, trying her best to dry them with her sleeves, without touching her face with her dirt gardening gloves. That was the problem she had with herself: she was weak. She felt too much, and, by consequence, suffered too much over the smallest things. She was unable to raise her voice and defy others, and, for that, she felt as if the world was closing around herself each day, with a suffocating feeling.

Sometimes, she just wished she could overcome her own weakness and choose her own destiny by herself, the same way she chose the earth.

 

* * *

 

She never expected to find someone else who shared her hobby, much less a whole group of people.

“Where do I put this stuff?” asked Ryuji with a tired voice, carrying two bags of fertilizer in his arms.

“Ah, just there, in the corner,” answered Haru.

Ryuji did as she said, letting out a relieved sigh, stretching his back. Akira, who followed him with a third bag, placed it over Ryuji’s, then lied on the ground, groaning while his friend called him “weak”. A low giggle close to Haru called her attention, and she turned her face to Makoto, who was trimming a flower on a small vase. Haru couldn’t help but smile.

“They seem to be having fun,” she commented.

Makoto nodded, looking at her.

“Yes,” she said, to then widen her smile. “And you too.”

Her words made something warm grow inside Haru’s chest. It hadn’t been a lie: she could barely remember the last time she felt so happy... So satisfied with her own life.

So not alone.

“It’s all thanks to you,” she said.

Haru got a little closer to Makoto, resting her head against her shoulder, feeling Makoto’s head against her own. They didn’t say anything for a while, just watching as Ryuji and Ann made a collective effort to get a complaining Akira back on his feet.

She couldn’t say if she was the one who chose her friends, or if they were the ones to choose her, or even if that was what some people labeled as “destiny”. It didn’t matter, however: destiny or not, she wasn’t willing to let go of them.

“I should get some carnation seeds next time,” she said, indicating a small, free area close to the roof’s border. “They would look beautiful there, don’t you think?”

“That’s true,” agreed Makoto.

She smiled to herself: that soft warmth was also something she wasn’t willing to let go, no matter what.

 

* * *

 

Haru watched those tiny cherry tomatoes with a satisfied smile on her face. They looked nice and delicious... Another small reason to feel proud of her own work.

She never expected her passion for gardening to change her life so much: her first cafe was about to be inaugurated on that same week, and, despite still feeling nervous, she couldn’t stop a wave of happiness from filling her chest.

“They grew so much,” said Makoto, right beside her.

“They did!” she agreed, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. “They look so cute too... I almost feel bad about eating them.”

Makoto laughed, placing a hand on her hair, giving Haru a brief kiss on her temple.

“They’ll grow again soon,” she said.

Haru agreed with a small nod, giving her girlfriend a brief kiss on the lips. If it hadn’t been for Makoto and their other friends, she wouldn’t be surrounded by all of those things she loved so much. They helped reminding her that she had a face and a voice, and that, despite how much others may judge her, she had the right to make her own choices. That she was deserving of respect and love. That she was a warrior. A human.

And now, thanks to them, she was finally standing on her own feet.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic, kudos and comments are highly appreciated! ♥


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